Dubai, March 12: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the safe return of the last travel group from both South Africa and the West Indies. Some players from these teams were stranded in India following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The ICC stated, “In the last 24 hours, the remaining 29 members from South Africa and 16 members from the West Indies have departed for their respective countries, marking the end of a challenging operation. The crisis in the Middle East had complicated the players’ return.”
The ICC expressed gratitude to Cricket South Africa, Cricket West Indies, and their entire teams for their support throughout this process. They also acknowledged the ICC staff for their hard work in ensuring the safe return of all players, staff, and their families.
On Wednesday, the ICC reported that four South African players and five family members were on their way home. The remaining 29 members of their group were expected to depart within the next 24 hours.
The board emphasized that their primary goal was to ensure safe travel for all players and staff, which included making continuous adjustments as circumstances changed.
The ICC’s operations and logistics teams worked closely with governments, airlines, charter providers, airport authorities, and their member boards to manage the difficulties arising from challenging global travel conditions.
Nine members of the West Indies team had already departed for the Caribbean, while the remaining 16 had booked their flights to leave India within the next 12 hours.
Delays in the players’ return were caused by the ongoing crisis in the Gulf region, which led to significant disruptions in international air travel. This included airspace closures, missile alerts, routing difficulties, and sudden cancellations or rescheduling of both commercial and charter flights.
The ICC stated that the travel-related issues were beyond their control.
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